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Queen Elizabeth II made an official ten-day visit to Brazil in 1968. The monarch unveiled two plaques during her stay, one to inaugurate MASP (Museum of Modern Art) in São Paulo and another to commemorate the construction plans of the Rio-Niterói bridge in Rio de Janeiro, a project that relied on British resources. Any idea what souvenirs she came home with? Two leopards – Aizita and Marquesa de Guará – and two sloths, all of which were relocated to London Zoo.

Find out more about three fantastic London parks for fun and relaxation Whether you are after a spot of relaxation, exercise, a picnic or a romantic afternoon, London’s parks attract as many locals as they do tourists, thanks to their picturesque settings, complete with ancient woods and grand old houses. However, these attractions are just a couple of the reasons why people visit the city’s famous parks. 1 – Hampstead Heath Located in northwest London, Hampstead Heath is vast; taking in plenty of natural beauty over the course of its 300 hectares, with walking trails, gardens, fields, woods and…

Is Carnival a public holiday in Brazil? Contrary to what many believe, the four and a half days of partying – from midnight Friday to noon on Wednesday – does not actually constitute a national holiday. With the exception of Rio de Janeiro, where it is a state holiday, for most cities Carnival is optional and so has to be agreed upon by the governing city councils. Read about indigenous Heavy Metal band

Manioc and its various names Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers of manioc root: 23 million tons per year. In the northeast of the country it is called macaxeira; in the south, aipim. But it is also other nicknames throughout Brazil, such as maniva, pão-de-pobre, macamba, uaipi and pau-de-farinha. Read about the complete name in the time of the Portuguese Empire

In the time of the Portuguese Empire signing your name could take some time The complete name of D. Pedro I – the first Emperor of Brazil – was Pedro de Alcântara Francisco Antônio João Carlos Xavier de Paula Miguel Rafael Joaquim José Gonzaga Pascoal Cipriano Serafim de Bragança and Bourbon. The Empress, Tereza Cristina, also needed some time to sign the full name: Teresa Cristina Maria Giuseppa Gasparre Baltassarre Melchiore Gennara Rosalia Lucia Francesca d’Assisi Elisabetta Francesca di Padova Donata Bonosa Andrea d’Avelino Rita Liutgarda Geltruda Venancia Taddea Spiridione Rocca Matilde. Brazilians at sea with a British admiral The…

The world’s largest cashew tree plantation The city of Parnamirim, in Natal – capital of Rio Grande do Norte – is home to the largest cashew tree plantation in the world, says the Guinness Book of Records: with an area of 8,500m², it produces 2.5 tons of cashew apples per harvest. From September to December, visitors can sample the fruit as they stroll beneath its vast, sprawling branches. Read about the largest beach in the world!

Boundless beach According to the Guinness Book of Records, Praia do Cassino in Rio Grande do Sul, the 220km stretch of coastline between Barra da Lagoa dos Patos and Arroio Chuí on the Uruguay border, is the largest beach in the world. Most of the shoreline is deserted, and today is the backdrop to migratory birds, sea lions, sand dunes, rough seas, and the wreckage of a ship that ran aground there in 1976. Read about indigenous Continent

Extreme temperatures in Brazil During the Brazilian summer temperatures can easily reach (and surpass) 40ºC. The highest ever recorded temperature was in the city of Bom Jesus, in Piauí, where thermometers registered a scorching 44.7ºC in November, 2005. The lowest temperature ever recorded was 17.8°C in Urubici in the state of Santa Catarina, in June, 1996. Read about some curious city names in Brazil

Indigenous Continent It is estimated that 400 thousand native Indians live in Brazil, amongst 200 ethnic groups and 170 languages. These are just those that live in settlements; there are between 100 and 190 thousand more that live outside the demarcated indigenous lands. The majority (89,529) live in the Amazon. Read about modernist Photography by Elton John

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